Grosvenor Estate: propose-built social housing

Millbank, directly adjacent to the area of Pimlico south of Westminster was a rural area until the eighteenth century. The area is named after the Abbey Mill, first noted in a 1565 rate book. This mill on the river Tyburn was a wheat mill of Westminster Abbey that stood on what was once Thorney Island. There was also a river mill in place on the Thames. The Abbey Mill was bought in 1721 by the Chelsea Water Company and demolished around 1736. The river Tyburn was culverted after the Great Stink of 1858 and become a discharge channel for the connecting sewers towards the Thames at a point near Vauxhall Bridge. Much of the area remained semi-rural until the nineteenth century apart from some development along the edges including some large mansions along the riverfront. One of these mansions was Grosvenor House, the London home of Lord Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster until 1806. He also owned the land at Millbank as well as adjoining Pimlico.

Tothill Fields stretching from Horseferry Road to the southernmost reach of the Tyburn was used for pasture with some 200 cows grazing here. This land owned by the Grosvenors was mainly developed in the 19th century with some development adjoining the southern outskirts of the city of Westminster started in the last half of the 18th century.

In 1928 a number of street with slum housing were condemned by the health inspector. Private developers had erected these buildings on land leased from the Duke of Westminster. Lord Grosvenor 2^nd Duke of Westminster took the land back and had the buildings demolished. He commissioned the famous architect Edwin Lutyens to design a complex of social housing in its stead. This became the Grosvenor Estate with parallel apartment blocks, built after German examples. The architecture is very striking with a checkerboard pattern of brick and rendered panels.

On the northern part of Tothill Fields the Grosvenor Estate (1) stands next to Horseferry Road. Most of the old buildings were redeveloped after WW1 and again after WW2. So nowadays large complexes lie in close proximity: The Millbank Centre (2), MI6 (3) and Abell House (4) and Cleland House (5) two recent very up-market housing developments at the site of former government offices.

After completion in 1937 the Duke of Westminster grants a lease to Westminster Council of 999 years to let out the apartments. He stipulates the condition that the housing is meant for the housing of the working classes. In total 532 flats were built in middle-rise buildings of 5 storeys. Narrow communal gardens were laid out in-between the blocks. Part of two blocks were never rebuilt after bomb damage during the Blitz and instead laid out as a large playground. The whole complex is listed.